


Friendly Intervention

by onlythebest



Category: Monster Prom (Visual Novel)
Genre: Anxiety, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, liam has anxiety and that is in fact canon, me? projecting onto liam de lioncourt?? it's more likely than you think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 04:45:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15040994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlythebest/pseuds/onlythebest
Summary: Liam de Lioncourt had been alive for a long time. A really, really long time. 437 years, to be exact. And in those 437 years, he had learned a lot of different things, but there’s one that had always proved to be pertinent in every single situation he had found himself in.People are always watching, and people are always judging.-hi my name is leo and i love vera and liam's friendship so i wrote a shitty fanfic about it!





	Friendly Intervention

Liam de Lioncourt had been alive for a long time. A really, really long time. 437 years, to be exact. And in those 437 years, he had learned a lot of different things, but there’s one that had always proved to be pertinent in every single situation he had found himself in.

People are always watching, and people are always judging.

Sure, maybe three or four centuries ago he hadn’t cared as much about this fact, but as society progressed it became glaringly obvious and all the more difficult to bear. However, even though this bothered him greatly, he had never bothered to ask for any sort of help. Dealing with your emotions- so mainstream, he would think, assuring himself that his distinct lack of mental self-care was totally okay in the same way he had since sometime in the 60’s. Instead of facing his insecurities head-on, he would always just make sure that whatever he was doing wasn’t popular. Better to stay out of the spotlight then to try to jump into it and get burned, right?

But then he had gone to Spooky High, and at Spooky High, he met a group of people that he found... unusual, to say the least. Unusual because they were all so different from one another, but still got along. Unusual because they did what they enjoyed, instead of what society dictated was enjoyable. Unusual because when they looked at him, he didn’t feel like he was being silently criticized. Oddly enough, the person he became closest with was Vera Oberlin, who was possibly the most judgemental person he had ever met (although he eventually learned that this was mostly for fun and occasionally even for her friends’ benefit).

All of this brought Liam to today. Today, where he was 437 years old plus a number of days that he was too tired to calculate, and no matter what he did or where he went he could swear that he felt at least one pair of eyes staring him down. This, combined with the fact that he had gotten zero sleep at all the previous night, had rendered him completely unable to deal with anything at all. He realized with vague amusement that the two fed into each other - he couldn’t sleep because he was anxious, because he couldn’t sleep, because he was anxious… his amusement turned to dread as he further realized that this was an endless cycle; one he feared that he could never get himself out of.

Which, of course, made him even more anxious.

In an attempt to compensate, he put extra effort into seeming aloof and uncaring. The majority of his responses to other people were annoyed huffs. He made sure not to make eye contact with others unless he was saying something he considered to be particularly scathing. He rolled his eyes so much that his head hurt. Of course, none of it really worked, as it just made him more and more aware of how much other people were looking at him. Even art class wasn’t a peaceful refuge, even though it normally was. Fear of other people seeing what he was drawing both kept him from drawing something that would properly vent his emotions (what if someone else saw it and judged him for his problems?) and what he was actually supposed to be drawing for the assignment (what if someone else saw it and thought it was horrible?). He ended up drawing a half-assed drawing of a gargoyle in his sketchbook and calling it a day.  
Lunch was no better than the rest of the school day. After all, the lunchroom was full of countless monsters, and countless eyes that Liam could feel staring at him. He opted to direct his eyes downward- not directly at the floor, though, he always found that looked kind of pathetic- as he stood in the lunch line, received his food, and sat down at a lunch table in the corner. Absentmindedly, he began to arrange his food in a way that would make for a decent picture. 

“What’s wrong?”

Fuck. He thought this table was empty. Thankfully, he could recognize the voice, it being none other than Vera’s… although he hoped that she hadn’t noticed his slight flinch.

“Ah. Hello, Vera, nice to see you too,” he replied, his voice in a practiced monotone. He could only think of how much he didn’t want her to pry further, but those hopes were quickly dashed when she said,

“Drop the act. Now, I’ll ask you again: What’s wrong?” Liam kept his eyes glued to his plate as he formulated a response.

“I’m flattered that you’re worried about me,” he started, “But I assure you that I’m fine. I suppose I’m just tire-” 

“Liam, dear.” Vera’s voice was strong and clear, with a hint of condescension. “You’re a horrible liar. You’re thinking too much about what you’re saying. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that that’s the problem you’re having in the first place.” Liam finally looked up at her, maintaining the most composed and unbothered look that he could muster. 

“And?” It was a stupid and short response that prompted an immediate slew of internal insults, but it was a response nonetheless. 

Vera’s voice sounded both exasperated and resolute as she replied, “And that isn’t good for you. I’m going to give you one more chance to tell me. What’s wrong?”

“I am tired, actually. I don’t believe I slept at all last night.”

It was Vera’s turn to have a one-word response. “And?”

“Too many people attend this school.”

“And?”

“I always find myself worrying about what they think of me. As if I should care!”

“So, then, how are you feeling?”

Liam let out a long breath, possible responses running through his head before his mouth decided to say the simplest one.

“Horrible.”

With that one word, it was almost as if he could feel the world closing in on him. Everything felt amplified by a factor of one million, and in that moment all he wanted to do was-

A weight on his shoulder caused his mind to slow down. Not stop, but start moving less quickly. He looked to his shoulder and saw Vera’s hand. The world felt a bit more manageable.

“You’re obviously having a pretty rough time. Would you want to leave the room?” The condescension in Vera’s voice had left entirely, concern taking its place. Liam, too tired to speak, simply nodded and the two walked out of the lunchroom together, Vera glaring at anyone who so much as glanced at either of them.

**Author's Note:**

> i might make more chapters because this one ended kinda badly and i haven't really gotten to The Real Comfort yet


End file.
